Strong
by Dr. Tamwe
Summary: Set not long before ESB, a concerned smuggler follows an elusive princess to her quarters one night... stuff happens... and then comes a secret mission. Drama, romance, action, intrigue, and a bit of humor.
1. chapter 1

TITLE: Strong

RATING: G

DISCLAIMER: Lucas owns 'em, not me. That doesn't bother me, though. I may not have millions of dollars, great vision, directing talent, or merchandising genius, but at least I can write halfway decent dialogue.

DEDICATION: To all the strong women in my life- especially Grammy, who taught me how to triumph over tragedy.

The meeting finished, and all were now updated on the statistics and strategies of the Rebellion's current standing. They would be going to Ord Mandell next, always moving in an attempt to stay hidden from the Empire.

Always moving forward, never looking back.

Leia excused herself and without a word to Captain Solo or Luke Skywalker, she walked briskly out of the room, arms folded across her chest.

Han watched her go, puzzled as always by her apparent inability to socialize, wondering what important undertaking she was headed to now. Chewie softly questioned beside him, observant as ever of his best friend's apparent thought processes.

"I don't know either, Chewie," the smuggler shrugged. "But I think I have a pretty good idea why she never sticks around."

[Wants to be alone,] Chewbacca responded with understanding.

"Yeah…"

Patting Chewie once on the arm by way of saying goodnight, Han Solo rose and headed in the direction where the Princess had disappeared.

Chewie sighed and shook his head. He should've known better than to say those words to Han; the smuggler interpreted "wants to be alone" as a sign that a woman was ready to fall into his arms. To put it mildly. But Leia was a strong woman, and could take care of herself, he reasoned. Han was on his own.

She wasn't so far ahead of him that he didn't see her duck into her quarters and quickly close the door, so he followed her and knocked unabashedly.

There was no answer, so he knocked again. "Hello, you in there Highness?"

"Just a minute," her copper voice rang out, muffled through the cheap duracrete.

A moment later she answered the door, still standing curtly as ever in her crisp white uniform and braids although it was late at night and most of the camp was getting ready to turn in.

"Captain Solo," she seemed surprised to see him standing there. "Can I help you?"

"Actually I was going to ask you the same question," Han replied boldly.

Leia looked taken aback, and then haughty. "Can you help me? Certainly not at this hour. If you mean by staying with the Rebellion and accepting the commission you've been offered-"

"That's not what I meant," he cut her off impatiently, holding up a hand. "I mean, what's been goin' on with you?"

It wasn't the right thing to ask. She narrowed her eyes. "Nothing is 'going on' with me Captain Solo-"

"Han."

"-Han. I'm a very busy woman, I haven't got time for-"

"What's wrong?" he persisted, more gently this time. Uncharacteristically gently. It threw Leia immediately off guard.

"I- nothing! I told you. Please-"

"You rush off every night after the briefings and don't come out of your room until morning, perfectly shined up and ready for action. You don't stop to breathe all day long, you keep busy, and you rush off at night again. It doesn't take a genius to figure it out, Leia. You're grieving. Now why nobody else has bothered to ask you how you've been, I have no idea, but-"

"They respect me," she cut him off, blurting out the words. She was exhausted, and confused, and suddenly angry at this invasion of her privacy. "Unlike you. How dare you presume to burst in on me like this-"

"I knocked, and you answered."

"In the middle of the night-"

"Oh come on, it's more like late evening."

"And ask me about the one thing that I don't-that I- please leave!" Her eyes burned at him, outraged and shocked, and she slammed the door in his face. Before the door closed he saw the tears gather in those eyes, the utter fear, the urgency to flee. He stayed where he was, and shuffled his feet.

"I'm not leaving, highness," he said. "And how dare _you_ slam the door on me like that."

"You have NO idea what I'm-"

"What you're going through? How do you know that, Leia? You have no idea who I am or where I came from-"

"That's right, I don't, so why are you here?"

"And you assume I have no idea what it's like to have my whole world, everything I ever loved, stolen from me right in front of my eyes?" His voice was suddenly fierce and rough with emotion. "I was young too. And I was alone like you are now. And it was horrible."

She was silent on the other side of the door. He paused, the lump in his throat rising with the thought of what had happened nine…ten years ago? And all that had happened since then, all the kids he'd seen give their lives for the Rebellion since joining up months ago.

"I don't want you to be alone, Leia. You shouldn't have to be."

"I'm not alone," she replied after a moment, stubborn as ever, though he could detect a waver of emotion in her voice.

"You're right. I'm here."

"Oh, what do you know?" Her voice was distorted now. He could hear the contortion of her face as she struggled to maintain control. Han paused a moment to wonder what had made him follow her, how he'd ended up fighting with a princess through a shoddy door in an even shoddier base of operations, but shook his head. His life rarely went where he expected it to go, and this moment he found himself caring more about the woman on the other side of the door than about himself, or anyone else in the universe. The realization hit him like a blaster bolt to the head.

"I know that whatever you're going through, you have to let yourself go through it," he responded quietly, "and even though you're probably the strongest person I've ever met, you can't do it by yourself."

The silence was even longer this time. It was a tangible presence.

"Her name was Dewlanna. She was shot, trying to protect me. It was- I thought it was my fault. She was the closest thing to family I ever had. I was just a kid."

A petty officer walked by, stared openly in bemusement at the ex-smuggler standing with one hand pressed against the princess's door, and turned the corner out of sight. Han heard a muffled gasp and knew that Leia was in there, crying and trying not to cry, probably physically covering her mouth with her hand so he wouldn't hear her.

"For God's sake, Leia, let me in," he murmured. "You don't have to always keep up appearances. I mean look who you're talking to, I'm not the most respectable guy on the base. Just let me in. Please."

There was a moment when he waited tensely for her response, his whole body frozen still, even his breathing. Then he heard the turn of the lock, and the door slowly opened.

She glanced at him briefly and allowed him to see her red and tear-streaked face, then turned her gaze towards the ground, her arms folded protectively around her torso. "Come in," she whispered.

In a heartbeat Han was through the door, the princess wrapped up tightly in his arms.

"I just want to be strong," she confessed brokenly, too exhausted to hide her emotions any more. "They deserve that much. I just want to be strong and stop this from happening, ever again."

He pulled her as close as he could, rubbing her back with one palm. "You are strong, Leia," he told her, as honest as he'd ever been. He closed his eyes and felt her body shake against his as she sobbed into his chest. "You're so strong."


	2. Chapter 2

Distribution: If you already have the original fic "Strong" on your site, feel free to take this and let me know afterwards. Otherwise if you want to use my story, please just ask first.

A/N: I wrote most of this story in Iraq, so the names and some subtle elements may have been influenced by my experiences. Specifically, some of the Bothans are named after Kuwaiti brands of bottled water. If this offends you, please go find a hobby.

"Han," she mumbled after a long time. "Han, I can't. You should…" blinking, she wrenched herself away from his embrace. Han let her go, but kept one hand on her forearm. She was trying to recover some semblance of dignity, surreptitiously wiping at her nose and taking slow, deep breaths. "I'm sorry about that," she said with strained calm. Her voice was still ragged, but the worst was over.

"Ah, don't be," he said. "Hey, if I were you, I'da lost it completely. Just about anybody would."

"But I'm not just anybody," Leia replied, bitterness framing her words.

Han laughed. "No. No, highness, you're definitely not."

A pleasant silence fell between them, and Leia was actually smiling a little.

"Ahh…" Han stuffed his hands in his pockets, suddenly feeling awkward. "Do you…"

"How 'bout a drink, flyboy?" Leia interrupted him.

"Love one," he replied with relief.

"So he sent me to a public school from that day on, complete with an armed escort," Leia related. Hours had passed, and they'd made their way through half a bottle of confiscated alcohol. "I was always trying to ditch the guards until Kiri came along. She never told my father anything I did, even though she always knew what I was up to, and she taught me how to defend myself. Kiri was a good bodyguard because she didn't try to be my babysitter." One of the millions killed on Alderaan. Another of Leia's old friends, lost forever.

Han wrapped his arm around her shoulder. They were sitting on the floor on top of Leia's bedroll, leaning against the cold wall. Leia treated Han like a piece of furniture, making herself comfortable, and the smuggler didn't mind her elbow digging into his ribs. He poured her another glass of whatever it was they were drinking and took a swig for himself straight out of the bottle.

The princess looked disheveled, exhausted, and redfaced from her earlier crying, but for once she actually looked relaxed.

"You look really pretty with your hair all messed up," he found himself confessing. Oops. He glanced suspiciously at the bottle.

"And you look very handsome when you're being sincere," she returned.

Han knew it would be a bad idea to kiss her at this point. She was drunk and that would be taking advantage. Besides, she'd been upset and had just needed someone to talk to. Plus, she was gorgeous. No, wait, that wasn't a good reason not to kiss her. Leia would kill him if he tried it. That was a better one. Okay. No kissing. He risked a glance toward her and found that she had passed out. There was princess drool on his shoulder.

Disentangling himself gently, Han picked her up and carried her to her cot. He deposited her small body there and laid her on her side (just in case), then covered her up with the bedroll. _I'm gonna be her hero now_, he thought to himself as he pulled the musty sleeping bag up to her shoulders. He could have taken advantage of her, but he hadn't. He'd been a perfect gentleman, a shoulder to cry on, and a drinking buddy all in one. A nice guy. Weren't women like her always saying they liked nice guys? Han had his doubts about that, but he was still pretty sure he'd scored big points tonight. _Smooth._

He mentally congratulated himself, took one last look at the passed-out princess, and left with the remains of the illegal liquor.

Not a bad night's work.


	3. Chapter 3

Distribution: If you already have an earlier version of the story, feel free to update it and just let me know. Otherwise, please ask before you take and I'll most likely be happy to share.   


Leia woke with a start, unsure of her surroundings. For a moment she was back home on Alderaan, but a quick glance around the dark room reoriented her. She was asleep on her cot, but why was she still in her clothes? She touched her head and winced; her tight braids were bunched up and had left her scalp feeling bruised. On top of that, she felt the hint of a hangover. What- _oh_. The previous evening's emotional maelstrom came back to her, and she felt a wave of queasiness not entirely due to alcohol-induced dehydration.

Leia groaned slightly and sat up, rubbing her face briskly in the morning cold. She willed herself to push the blanket off and noticed that she was only wearing one shoe. The other one was on the ground beside her cot.

_Great, just great_, Leia thought as she showered. After all the time she had successfully maintained her level-headed image, tried so hard to behave like a leader and show strength, what had happened? Of course she knew she had to grieve eventually, and that there was more to come. That was only natural. But there were more important things than her own feelings, and the rebellion was one of them. _I'm a symbol,_ she reminded herself. _A survivor. A reminder that the Empire can't break us, no matter how powerful they might be._

She recalled one of many speeches. "They may have the ability to destroy a planet," she'd said. "But they cannot destroy our will. They cannot annihilate our spirits."

So much for will. And the spirits, well, she assumed they had finished the bottle between them.

With a sigh, the princess added one last regret to her train of thought. Why, of all people to witness a breakdown when it finally happened, did it have to be Solo? Now she just knew he'd act all smug and cocky, reminding her of her weakness every chance he got.

Why had she let him, of all people, see her at a disadvantage? She'd confided everything in him, sought comfort in him- _and found it_, a small internal voice added.

Leia finished getting dried and dressed, carefully checking herself in a small handheld mirror. It was no use wasting any more time thinking about that smuggler when she had a full day ahead of her. Besides, Han wasn't likely to go public with anything that had happened the night before. He'd be more apt to use it as private ammunition in their next spat. But at least it wouldn't undermine her authority or image… and that was the important thing.

"Hey, don't hog all the food, Chewie," Han said, pushing his tray along behind the wookiee. The rebellion's galley didn't exactly offer fine cuisine, but at least it wasn't moving. Han scooped a few servings of something he hoped contained protein onto his plate and poked at it. It didn't jiggle or make any noise. With a sigh of relief, Han followed Chewie to an available seat in the dining area.

"What?" the smuggler asked after a few moments of Chewie non-growling.

Hey, it's none of my business, Chewbacca replied with a shrug.

"Oh, don't play that game with me," Han said, wagging a finger in his copilot's face. "I'm not fallin' for it."

Falling for what? Chewbacca asked, appearing to be fully concentrated on his breakfast. I haven't said a word about you going to the princess' quarters last night.

"Aha! I didn't say anything about any princess."

Neither did I, Chewie replied.

"Yes you did, just now, you-"

"Hey, Han. Chewie. Can I squeeze in?" Luke Skywalker, fresh-faced and country as ever, insinuated himself into the conversation with a cheerful smile. "How are you guys this morning?"

Chewbacca bellowed a greeting.

"Fine, kid. Never better," Han replied, poking in disgust at the grey-tinged substance on his tray. He was glad for the interruption, since he didn't feel like answering Chewie's questions about his behavior the previous night.

"Are you headed to the briefing after this?" Luke asked.

"What else is there to do on this iceball?" Han replied.

"I know what you mean," Luke said agreeably. "Anyway, I guess there's something big coming up. We're not really supposed to talk about it, but General Rieekan says Mon Mothma's gonna speak. Holo, of course, but still it must be pretty important, you know?"

"Huh." Han wondered what the old lady had up her oversized sleeves. Luke seemed pretty excited about whatever it was, so it was a pretty safe bet Rogue squadron was involved. "Alright, kid, see ya there."

"See ya," Luke replied. Chewie ruffled his hair and followed Han out of the galley.

"I assume you must be curious as to why I am speaking to you all directly," Mon Mothma's projected image said an hour later. "I will tell you now, but I must first stress the importance of keeping this information classified. Only those with top secret clearance may remain in this briefing." She paused. Everyone in the room was cleared.

"The secrecy of this information has been guarded by only myself and General Rieekan for quite some time. A new faction has contacted us wishing to support the Rebellion- a large faction.

"For economic reasons alone this entity would be a tremendous acquisition to our cause; but they also have an outstanding intelligence network and advanced technology which could give us a strategic advantage in the long term.

"They have been apprehensive, however, to make any formal agreements with us. They remain unconvinced of our ability to provide mutual protection in the event of another Death Star or other superweapon. While they have conceded to back us with a small provision, which was used to upgrade the ion defense system at your current location recently, their fear of the Empire remains strong.

"We will dispatch a diplomatic mission to the Bothan system immediately to encourage their alliance with us. Simultaneously, there is a separate issue which must be addressed.

"Current Imperial activity indicates their search for Rebel headquarters is getting closer to finding our location. The probability of attack has increased, and I want everyone on their guard. Patrols will be increased, both on-planet and around the solar system perimeter. Preparations must be made for evacuation. This will include scouting missions, counterintelligence maneuvers, and the deployment of several groups to set up rendezvous points in various small camps. You will all receive your sealed orders directly from General Rieekan after the briefing. That is all. "

"Han! Hey, Han!" Luke was calling across the hangar. He ran up and thudded Han on the shoulder. "I heard you got tasked to escort the diplomatic mission- did you?"

"Yeah, but I'm tryin' to get out of it," he replied.

"Why, what's the matter?"

"Eh, it doesn't suit me," Han said. "You seen Rieekan anywhere?"

"In the map room, last time I checked. Leia was headed up there to look for him too. Hey, I'll be leaving in the morning to help set up one of those remote sites. Probably won't see you for a while so stay safe, okay?"

"You too," Han said, looking him in the eyes. "And don't get carried away with the heroics, alright?"

Luke laughed. "Same to you," he said congenially. He patted Han on the arm again and hurried off to make his preparations. Han shrugged off the concern he always felt when he and the kid parted ways. Luke's enthusiastic loyalty to the Rebellion might get him killed some day, but his assignment this time would take him well out of harm's way.

Han resumed his search for General Rieekan. He was not about to be stuck on some freighter with a bunch of wrinkly old ambassadors to sit with them through some fancy Bothan banquet when he and Chewie could be out with the intel guys doing recon- or better yet, smuggling something. Anything. Information, equipment, new recruits, long underwear for the troops, he didn't care as long as he could shove it into a compartment on the _Falcon _and pretend it wasn't there. It was high time the Rebellion started playing his strengths instead of tasking him for all these tedious red tape missions.

He was about to knock on the map room door when he heard his name mentioned inside. It was the princess. Accustomed to and adept at eavesdropping, the smuggler leaned casually against the wall as if innocently waiting his turn. He strained his ears to catch every word spoken.

"Yes of course, General Rieekan, but perhaps someone other than Captain Solo. What about-"

"Solo is the best man for the job," Rieekan cut her off. "Rogue squadron is already allocated as security for remote camp setup, and outside of them he's the best pilot we've got."

_Damn right_, Han thought, then frowned at the inferior ranking to Rogue squadron.

"I'm not arguing that point, general. But… the _Millennium Falcon_ is going to be recognized by any Imperial spies within 20 parsecs."

"We've already thought of that. We've prepared a cloaking device that'll project a holographic disguise. Our techs will be updating the scrambling device so that the Empire can't scan its identity. The _Falcon_ is a far safer bet than any of our standard personnel transports. It's faster and more heavily armed. To point, it's the only ship suited to the mission."

An arrogant grin widened on Han's face and stayed there. _Best ship, best pilot._ He'd already dismissed the second-place comparison to the Rogues.

There was a pause while Leia was probably trying to formulate a reply. Rieekan's reasoning was sound, and she'd have a hard time arguing her way out of it. Han crossed his arms over his chest as if daring her to try and outmaneuver the general.

She finally sighed. Her objections had been solidly refuted, and she was forced to concede to the general's plan.

"I apologize for failing to appreciate your planning ability. I should have known you would have taken every angle into consideration," she said graciously.

"Princess Leia. Your safety is of great consequence not only to the Rebellion, but to me personally. You may always be assured of that."

"Thank you, general."

"You'll be leaving at the earliest opportunity, but we do not yet have an exact time, so you'll need to be in contact with centcom at all times. You've perused your information packet? "

"Of course. I'll have time to study it more thoroughly en route."

Han sensed he wouldn't hear anything else interesting, so he made his escape down the hall. Why hadn't somebody told him who he was supposed to be escorting? This was completely different from what he'd had in mind. The princess and him, together on his _own ship_ for an extended period of time and he'd been about to try and get out of it. Maybe he should read all the way through his orders once in a while. As a matter of fact he'd missed the part about the techs messing with his ship, assuming naively that he and Chewie would make the necessary modifications. Suddenly alarmed, Han hurried to make sure his _Falcon_ was still in one piece.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Refer to previous chapters for author's notes. I hate being repetitive.   


"Are you quite alright, Mistress Leia?"  
"I'm fine." Leia zipped her duffel bag with unholy zeal, threw it on the floor, and started throwing clothes into the next bag. "Don't call me Mistress."

"What would you prefer that I call you?"

"Augh. I don't care." She continued packing her belongings with inhuman speed.

"Would 'your highness' suffice?" the droid prompted.

"Fine."

Threepio stared at her, arms posed in that peculiar way that made him look continually surprised. "Begging your pardon, your highness, but you do appear rather upset. Are you sure there's nothing I can do?"

Leia stopped what she was doing, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. Threepio waited.

"Why don't you plug yourself in to the holonet and get an upgrade for the trip. Make sure you get a patch for vernacular Bothan."

"Right away, your highness."

When the droid was gone, Leia heaved a sigh of relief and sat down on her cot. Of all the rotten luck, why? _Why? _What had she ever done to deserve being stuck with Han Solo? Her stomach fluttered nervously, and she made an effort to calm herself down. Okay. How bad could it be? He was bound to be occupied with the temperamental _Falcon_ a large part of the time, and she would be busy the entire way there studying up on Bothan culture and government. Still, the two of them would be stuck together with just Chewie and Threepio as alternative company. The wookiee wasn't much for conversation, but maybe they could play board games or something. Leia hoped they'd be leaving the droid switched off.

The solution to this dilemma was to stay away from Han as much as possible by keeping busy and maintaining professional courtesy. They were going on a mission, after all, not a pleasure outing. On the way back, she could stay out of the way under the pretense of preparing a summary for the commanders. That would only take half a day, but she could stretch it out. With a little planning, the trip wouldn't be that bad. Besides, her focus should be on the Bothans, not on Han Solo. Mentally chiding herself for letting personal matters interfere with her work once again, Leia resumed packing her things in a slightly saner fashion than before.

"Tell me about it, Chewie, I feel like my head just hit the pillow," Han griped as the duo made their way up the gangplank of the _Falcon_. It was around four in the morning local time, and they had been summoned from their quarters with urgency to prep the ship for immediate takeoff. "What's with these military types and doing everything at the asscrack of dawn anyway?"

"Common sense," Leia interjected, coming up behind them struggling with her luggage. "The earlier you get up in the morning, the bigger the head start on the enemy."

"Yeah well, what if the enemy stays up late and kills you in your sleep?" Han retorted. Chewie, ignoring him, growled a soft hello to the princess and took her bags from her.

"_Thank_ you, Chewie," she said with overemphasized politeness. She turned back to Han, who had started up the ship's engine and was working at the control panel. "The Empire is not the bunch of bounty hunters, pirates and thieves you're used to."

Han paused in his preflight diagnostics and looked up at her indignantly. "You tryin' to say they're better than me?"

"Of course not. I'm only –"

"Kids, kids, it's too early to start bickering," Rieekan's voice preceded his entry into the control room. He was smiling broadly and looking far more energetic than anyone his age, or any age for that matter, had a right to be at this time of the morning.

"Good morning, general," Leia greeted him.

"Mornin'," Han greeted, less appropriately.

"I wanted to see you off personally," he said, looking each of them in the eye in turn. "Yours is the first mission out, but the Rogues will be leaving immediately after. Commander Skywalker asked me to relay his goodbye to you both."

"We appreciate your coming to tell us, general," Leia said before Han had a chance to open his mouth. "Please give Luke and Rogue Squadron our regards."

"Of course. Do you have any last-minute questions or concerns?"

"None," Leia said.

"Yeah," Han said at the same time. "I haven't seen the _Falcon_ in her costume. How's she look?"

Leia cleared her throat and raised her eyebrows, obviously biting back a delicious remark about Han's ship.

"Worse than usual, believe it or not," Rieekan replied, noting the princess' expression with a gleam in his eye.

"You're in rare form this morning, general," Han deadpanned.

Rieekan laughed and stuck his hands in the pockets of his flight suit. "She looks like she's supposed to," he said. "If I didn't know better, I'd swear myself there was an Old Republic relic of a cargo ship in my hangar bay."

"Good," Han said. "Then we're ready to fly."

"I'll leave you to it. May the force be with you."

"You too, General Rieekan."

Han turned back to his preflight sequence, Chewie joining him in the copilot seat. Leia stood there with her arms crossed, watching. Han felt her silent presence behind him and waited for whatever snippy remark she was bound to think up.

"Can I help you with something, _your highness_?" he finally asked.

"I was just watching Chewie. Is that a problem?" she challenged.

"Not at all," Han replied, clearly meaning the opposite.

Chewbacca sighed internally at the antipathy that practically dripped from their voices. It was going to be a long trip.

Things had improved slightly by early afternoon, when Han had consumed a few cups of coffee and Leia had taken an unplanned nap. They ate lunch together in relative silence, Leia reading over her data pad while Han drummed his fingers on the wall.

"This isn't going at all like I planned," the smuggler confessed to his copilot afterward.

What did you expect? Chewie asked.

"After the other night? A little civility maybe?"

What happened the other night?

"I told you… we just talked," Han said defensively.

Chewie snorted in disbelief.

"It's the truth!"

Then you must have said something to piss her off, Chewie said. She's been avoiding you ever since.

"Well what _doesn't_ piss her off?"

Luke doesn't piss her off.

"Some friend you are," Han said, sulking. "She _has_ been avoiding me though, hasn't she?" She had even tried to get out of going on this mission with him.

So, what happened the other night?

After looking around to make sure Leia wasn't about to materialize behind him, he told Chewie about his confrontation of the princess.

"See? I didn't do anything wrong," Han concluded.

The wookiee pondered this for a moment. It doesn't sound like you did, he said.

"_Thank_ you."

You'd be a pretty big jerk to pressure her now, though, Chewie continued.

"Pressure? Pressure. I'm pressuring her."

Not yet, but knowing you…

"This is different," Han said. "She's different." Han grasped for words, but found none to explain himself any further. "All I want from her is to be treated like an equal."

But Han, she's royalty.

"So? She's a human being. She's a woman, I'm a man. She doesn't have to look down on everybody just because she's a princess- I mean, you or I could have just as easily been born into wealth and power."

"Actually, I was adopted," Leia interjected, coming up suddenly behind him. "And I don't look down on you, or anyone else, Captain Solo."

"Is that so?" Han challenged, recovering quickly from putting his foot in his mouth. He wondered how much of the conversation she'd overheard.

"Yes, it is. I give orders because I'm put in a position of power, but I respect everyone from Mon Mothma down to the lowest ranking new recruit. Everyone has volunteered their lives for a cause they believe in, and that commands respect from me."

Well, this was new. He stood and faced her, staring down directly into her eyes. "So… you respect me?"

The princess pursed her lips for a moment before replying. "Of course I do. Most of the time, anyway."

Don't jump on the 'most of the time,' Chewie warned under his breath, while Han stood momentarily speechless.

"Most of the time, huh?" he asked. Chewie loosed a sigh of frustration beside him and turned to the ship's controls, tuning out the rest of the conversation.

"Yes. When you're thinking of anybody beside yourself, for example."

"I think about other people," Han reassured her.

"That's what I just _said_."

"I heard what you said."

"Don't let it go to your head," she snorted.

"Do you have any other examples?" Han pressed.

"When you're not leering, invading my personal space, and pushing your luck," Leia said pointedly.

A wide grin crossed Han's face, and he took a step back in concession. "Would it be an invasion of your 'personal space' if we had dinner together?" he asked.

"As long as you can manage to behave yourself," she said, "that would be fine."

"I can do that."

"I'll believe that when I see it."

"Fair enough. See you at dinner then. 1900."

"See you at dinner."

There was nothing of value in the _Falcon's_ hold. Han scowled. All he could produce from storage were a few packages of frighteningly old military rations with lies for expiration dates. They'd have to make do with the on-board food replicator, which was a dubious improvement over expired rations at best. Han could've kicked himself for his lack of planning. Then again, there wasn't much to be had back on Hoth either, or he'd have known about it. Planning wouldn't have made a difference.

With a sputter, the food replicator expelled a glob of glutinous yellow substance he couldn't identify. He dipped a finger in it and brought the finger to his lips; the hopeful expression on his face disappeared into a wince and he scraped his tongue with his teeth. Whatever it was tasted like grease mixed with salt and burnt sugar. This was probably not going to win any compliments from the princess. Han rolled up his sleeves and went to work on the machine with gusto. He had an hour to manifest an edible dinner; it would take a miracle.

You didn't check it before we left? Chewbacca asked unhelpfully some time later.

"Of course I checked it before we left," Han lied. "Now it won't even spit out that yellow crap anymore."

Maybe you should stop playing with it, Chewie suggested. We have food in the back, don't we?

"I wouldn't call that food," Han grumbled in response. He had been messing with some unseen inner working of the food replicator, and the machine was now beginning to smell like smokeHan climbed further into the mess only to jerk upwards and smack his head. He scrambled back out on all fours, pursued by a burst of flame.

"Get the fire extinguisher!" Chewie already had it.

After dousing the flames, the two of them examined what remained of the food replicator.

It's mostly intact, Chewie remarked. Should only need a few new parts.

"But we don't _have_ any parts," Han said.

We could stop in Ord Mandell on the way back.

"An' what are we gonna eat for the next two days?" Han asked. "I'm gonna make it work with what we got."

"Han?"

Now you're in trouble.

The smuggler winced before he turned around to face Leia.

"Hey!" he greeted with false cheer. "Ready for dinner?"

"I was ready over an hour ago. Is there something wrong with the food replicator?"

"Uh, small problem, yeah. I'm workin' on it."

"How long is it going to take?" Leia asked.

It would be a bad idea to answer that one too specifically. "Just a little while," he said.

Just in case the princess might be picking up some Wookiee, Chewie used an obscure and somewhat vulgar slang word from his homeworld. Liar, he said, roughly translated.

Leia eyed him suspiciously. "It's already been a little while," she replied, circling Han. He moved with her to stand between her and the food replicator. She feinted to the left, and he matched her. She started to the right and Han was still in her way. Finally she faked to the left again and then ducked right, getting a full view of the busted machine.

There was a dialogue-free moment. Han spun his hydrospanner around in both hands, examining the ceiling. Leia stared at the food replicator, which was still smoking slightly. Chewie watched the two of them with secret amusement.

"That just figures," Leia said slowly, and turned to leave. "You know, I'll get my own dinner. Thanks anyway."

"Just a minute!" Han said, following her out of the tiny galley to the storage hold. "Come on, it's fixable!"

"What are these? Old Republic rations?"

"Yeah, well, Imperial ones. Look, I'm gonna fix the machine if you'll just wait-"

"I don't feel like waiting anymore, Han, I'm hungry _now_."

"But those-"

Chewbacca listened to the sound of a door being slammed in Han's face, followed by a bout of muttered swearing. "Fine! Be like that!" the smuggler retorted, a bit late. Leia didn't answer him.

Han walked over and peered into the storage hold.

"You took all the rations!" he shouted back at her. "All of them?"

"There were only two boxes," Leia's muffled voice replied. "I'll make them last."

"What am _I_ 'sposed to eat?" Han asked, indignant.

"You know, I really don't care."

"That's real nice of you. Classy," Han shouted back.

"You said you'd fix the replicator," she pointed out.

Han scowled, shook his head, and looked around him for something to kick. There was nothing handy, so he kicked the air.

Hadn't there been more than two boxes? He could've sworn… but a quick glance in the hold confirmed that it was still empty. Leia had stolen all the food, and now she was lying to him. On his own ship. Unbelievable!

He knew the food replicator wasn't going to be working any time soon no matter what he did, and they couldn't well stop en route to the Bothan system.

"Well, Chewie, we're shit outta luck," Han grumbled, flinging himself into the pilot's seat to sulk. "Two days without food. Just like old times, huh?"

The copilot growled in agreement, surreptitiously licking expired rations out of his teeth. He hoped the four boxes he'd stashed would last the rest of the trip. Life debt or not, two days wasn't going to kill Han, and wookiees needed more food than humans anyway.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Check out the preceding chapters. I have nothin new to say.

"Finally," Han said, upon receiving the landing clearance code from the Bothan transportation authority. His stomach growled plaintively. Leia had kindly left for him two packets of dry, flavorless crackers to sustain him during the trip. It was all he'd eaten for two days. Not that he couldn't handle a little starvation now and then, but he found it a little weird that Chewie had never complained. The wookiee was always hungry.

"Give 'er a wide berth, Chewie," Han reminded his copilot. "That hologram we're projecting won't have a lot of effect if somebody sees part of it pass right through the docking bay doors."

They landed at last. Han shut down the Falcon, leaving minimal power on to power the hologram. Chewbacca dragged Threepio out of the closet and flicked the switch on the back of the droid's neck.

"Actually, I really don't need to stay powered down for the journey," Threepio insisted. "I'm quite efficient, if I may say so, and-"

"Save it, Goldenrod, we're here already."

Threepio looked around, managing with his completely expressionless face to look taken aback. "Oh. I see."

"Where's our escort?" Leia wondered aloud when they'd disembarked. She stood beside Han, holding one piece of her luggage and looking around for anyone who looked official.

"Hey," someone called out from behind them. A Bothan dressed in very casual looking clothes approached them, waving in greeting."I'm with the travel agency. Are you the Harrisons?"

"That's us," Han grinned, extending one palm for a handshake. Han hadn't realized Bothans even wore clothes. Maybe wearing clothes was the latest fashion statement; he'd have to ask Leia. "We gonna see some ID?" he asked in a conversational tone.

"Of course." The Bothan covertly flipped open a wallet, revealing a government badge with the name 'Hayat Tahira' and holographic logo. Leia discreetly scanned it with a handheld device she'd been issued before leaving Hoth; the lights on the indicator blinked green.

"You speak excellent Standard," Leia commented. She and Han exchanged glances. They wouldn't be needing Threepio.

"Thank you," Hayat said. "I'll be your translator as well as your escort. We don't allow full-sized translator droids into port Bothanel until they've been cleared, because they're considered recording devices, and by the time he's cleared it'll be past your departure date. It's not a new rule, so I don't know why you weren't informed ahead of time. Sorry about that."

"Recording devices? But I assure you, sir, I don't-"

"You heard the man, Threepio. Looks like you'll have to stay back and keep an eye on the ship," Han said. Before the droid could protest, the falcon's docking door had eased shut. Leia hid a grin behind her hand, and the trio followed Hayat to his vehicle.

"Alright, we're going to take a lot of side roads and extra turns, so it'll be about a two hour trip. Do either of you need anything?"  
"Do we have time to stop for something to eat?" Leia asked, glancing towards Han.

"Plenty of time. If you dont have any preferences, I know a great place that's open all night," Hayat offered.

"Sounds wonderful," Leia replied. Chewbacca echoed his agreement.

"That was nice of you," Han murmured for Leia's ears only.

"Well, I don't want your stomach growling and drowning out the ambassadors' voices when we meet them," Leia whispered back.

"Touching."

Over dinner, Hayat talked about some of the local sights and encouraged them to do some touring. He told a few Bothan jokes: "How many Bothans to change light panel? Ten... one to change the panel, two engineering consultants, one to hold the chair and six on security." Leia smiled politely throughout.

It was nearly dusk by the time they departed for the capitol center. About halfway through the trip, Leia sat up abruptly. She looked around, frowning. "Something isnt' right," she announced.

"What is it?" Han asked. He looked around. "Everything seems normal to m-"

An ion blast rocked the transport. The engine went dead, along with the lights inside the transport. Han and Hayat simultaneously reached for their blasters, and Chewie went for his crossbow. Leia was unarmed - her orders had clearly named her a noncombatant. Han and Chewie positioned her between themselves.

"You three stay inside the vehicle," Hayat was saying. "Don't move- I'll go check it out."

Han wasn't paying attention, however, and opened his door a crack. He fired a few cover shots into the darkness and stepped outside. "Chewie- stay with Leia, alright?"

They were in a temperate zone of Bothanel, surrounded by new-growth deciduous forest. There were plenty of places for their attackers to hide. Han crouched low, and spotted movement in the faint gleam of remaining daylight that managed to filter through the trees. He fired into the undergrowth and heard a groan, followed by a crash. Immediately he was taking fire from all sides, and ducked back into the transport, using it as cover while firing in the direction of the shots. Hayat took aim and fired, ending one source of fire to Han's right. "I told you to stay in there and let me handle it!" the agent complained, dodging a blast and firing again towards it.

There was a moment of silence, of rustling in the bushes. They were changing position.

"These can't be snipers," Hayat whispered. "We'd be dead already."

"Unless they want us alive for torture," Han replied with mock cheerfulness. "We're outnumbered and exposed. What have you got?"

"Watch." The Bothan took something from one of his pockets and hurled it into the bushes where it released a burst of light and withered all the low-lying plants, ruining their attackers' cover on that side. He did the same with three similar objects in a circle around them. Han saw one and fired, but the enemy ducked out of the way in time to be only grazed. The attackers all began heading away. Han and Hayat had picked off the few on their right side, and the retreat seemed to be headed north, to their left.

"They're retreating," Hayat said. "But they might set up a second ambush further ahead. You protect the princess; I'm going to pursue."

"Shouldn't you be calling headquarters or somethin'?" Han asked, patrolling forward with his blaster held ready in front of him.

"This is really not the time, Captain Solo" Hayat replied with sarcasm.

"Congratulations, you just earned my respect."

The Bothan departed without comment, and Han dashed back to their transport.

"Everyone alright?" Leia asked.

"Yeah, at the moment."

It was eerily quiet after the gunfire. Han and Chewbacca positioned themselves on either side of Leia, facing out of the transport and scanning the foliage around them. Nothing moved or made a sound.

"Something's wrong," Leia whispered.

"Don't get spooky on me, princess" Han replied. "That's the second time you've said that tonight."

Several more tense moments passed. Suddenly a laserbolt hit Chewbacca directly on the side of the head.

Han looked at his friend in horror as the Wookiee spasmed and went slack. Without a word he clambored out of the vehicle and started firing indiscriminately into the darkness. After tossing out enough firepower to bring down half an army, he stopped, catching his breath. He'd advanced into the wooded area himself and realized he'd probably been lured out there deliberately. In this brush he could easily be surrounded by now. Han froze and looked around carefully; he saw no one.

_Leia. _

Spinning on his heels, Han charged back to the transport as fast as he could run. He saw it from a distance; Bothans were surrounding the ship, five of them. Leia caught one in the chest with a blast from Chewie's crossbow and swivelled around to fire another, but the shot went wide. Another one had grabbed her from behind.

"Get off me. Let me go. Han!"

She kicked, struggled, even tried to bite her captor's hand through his fur when the crossbow was wrenched from her grasp by another attacker. They were all too close together- Han wouldn't be able to shoot at them without risking Leia. He slowed down and crept closer. Leia was doing a good job of slowing their progress, buying him some time. He took aim, sure he could hit the one on the left-

Before he could fire, though, a shot came from somewhere on the other side of the road, taking out the Bothan he'd been aiming at. Leia almost got free for a second, cursing eloquently. Then she stopped. One of them was holding a blaster to her head. The hostage-taker shouted something at them which needed no translation. From behind them several speeder bikes pulled up, a few of them without riders. Leia's captor threw her onto one and got behind her. She looked straight ahead, her expression fiercely angry. They never took the blaster away for a second.

The bikes pulled away quickly, heading into the forest. Han fired a test shot, then stood up slowly.

The clearing was empty. Hayat approached the transport from the opposite side, meeting Han's eyes and looking grave.

"Chewie." Han jostled him, but the wookiee didn't respond. He leaned over and placed his ear over Chewie's chest, listening for a heartbeat. "Hoya. Hatah. Eh, Hayat! He's alive. Hurry up and get this thing fixed, we need to get help."

"It's fried, Captain. We'll have to wait for headquarters." The Bothan punched in a sequence on his wrist device. Nothing seemed to happen, but Hayat sat down in the front seat of the transport. "They're on their way," he said. "It shouldn't be long."

Leia was angry and afraid, but she struggled to get these emotions under control. Getting upset wasn't going to help her now. Her facial expression gradually melted into neutral, and her body relaxed slightly. She concentrated on the sound of rustling leaves.

As she relaxed, a lump rose in her throat. She swallowed it down, refusing to wonder if Han, Chewie, and their guide were still alive. She knew at least one of them was when they'd taken her- probably Hayat, because of the direction that last shot had come from. Chewie had been breathing when she'd checked him, although poorly. Han... well. He had been firing wildly, then he'd stopped.

The only way she'd find out for sure was to escape. So far she hadn't had the opportunity. It was better to get away before they'd got to wherever they were headed, she knew. Her chances of success might be higher while they were transporting her, but they were about nil while she still had the blaster aimed at her head.

"I need to use the refresher," she said in slow, clear Standard. They ignored her, and she tried again.

"Shut up," one of them snarled afterwards. "No refresher in woods. You wait."

Frustration and anger whirled up once more, and Leia fought them down. Alright. Fine. Move on and try something else.

It didn't help that she really did need the refresher. Bastards.

"I'm sorry, Captain Solo," Hayat said.

Han shot a look at him. "It's not your fault," he grumbled. He went back to watching Chewie.

"The ambush... I should've seen it coming."

"Kid, nobody could've seen it coming. You did the best you could, so knock it off."

Hayat fell into miserable silence. He felt sick to his stomachs. The dark look on the Captain's face wasn't helping any. He was sure he'd be blamed for all of this, and why not? The ambassador's safety _had_ been his responsibility, and he'd failed her. Besides that, if the wookiee didn't make it...

In the distance, Hayat's keen hearing picked up the sound of several approaching vehicles. It wasn't long before their "rescue" had arrived, complete with ambulance for the Wookiee. Han followed the medic and grabbed him by the collar.

"Listen up, shorty.Whoever takes care of my friend here better damn well do it right, you got that? Do you have medical droids here?"

"We use droids _and _people," Hayat interjected.

"Well then if it's a droid you can tell it if it screws up, it's going to end up in tiny pieces in an orbital scrap heap," Han said, "and you can say the same thing if it's a person." He released the medic's collar. The medic looked nervous, but nodded in wordless agreement and hurried away.

For once Han found himself wishing that Threepio was with them. Hayat had left him at the medical center before going off to meet with his higher-ups about the incident. Han had been torn, wanting to go with Hayat to find out what they could about Leia's captors, but he didn't have the security clearance. Hayat had assured him he'd be able to go on the rescue mission and that he'd be given any necessary information, so he'd gone to check up on Chewie while he waited for their guide to return. Now he had no translator, and Han had no idea what was going on.

She had to be alive, he was sure. They'd made no ransom demands yet, but it was obviously a kidnapping. They wouldn't want to injure her or kill her, a high-profile hostage, especially this early on. On the other hand, they hadn't seemed to concerned about any casualties inflicted in the process of capturing Leia. Chewie, if his skull wasn't so thick, would have been dead.

Han's gut twisted sharply at the thought. He hadn't been allowed in to see Chewie yet, and had tried to read his chart- the datapad had a built-in translator function which worked by stating the name of the desired language, _in_ that language, which Han thought was nifty- but a scowling medic had snatched it away from him, administering an untranslated reprimand. Han had tried, pantomining, to ask about the wookiee's status, but was met with another torrent of Bothan and a pat on the shoulder he supposed was meant to be reassuring.

There was nothing he could do for Chewie now. He was completely helpless, wholly in the dark, and getting more pissed off by the second. His best friend was in here and nobody would tell him anything. His... whatever Leia was to him, his, his _woman of interest _was out there and they were telling him even less. Han was ready to take a hostage himself, that bitch medic for example, and start demanding answers. Pirate diplomacy. But he couldn't even do that, because he'd been forced to check his blaster with security at the medical center entrance. He paced up and down the waiting area, hands thrust in his pockets, casting angry glares in the direction of anyone unfortunate enough to be caught wearing a medical uniform.

At least Chewie was safe now. He really should be out there with the search and rescue mission for Leia, but as far as he knew, they hadn't even started to look yet.

"Hanzolo?"

Han turned. A Bothan and a human, dressed like Hayat only with fancy embroidery on their shoulders, stood side by side.

"What's goin' on?" he asked immediately.

The two exchanged glances. "You will need to come with us."

"I wanna know how my friend is doing first. Find out for me."

"Captain Solo, do not be so demanding. You must keep a low profile. Already there has been a great deal of exposure."

"And you think I care about that? I came here on a diplomatic mission and almost ended up being the only survivor. Don't even try and push me around." He thrust a pointed finger into the human's chest. "Take me to see Chewbacca, and tell me what his condition is. Then I'll go where you want." Han decided to save his questions about Leia until they were back at Hayat's headquarters, where he presumed they were headed. There was such a thing as pressing his luck.

"We haven't heard from them yet, General Rieekan."

"What? There must be some sort of interference. We haven't seen any Imperial activity anywhere near the Bothan system."

"No, sir. There doesn't seem to be any interference. I'm able to pick up standard broadcast channels from the planet, but nothing else is coming in over the grid."

Rieekan frowned. "Send an inquiry to the secure channel," he ordered the young tech. "Notify me as soon as you have an answer."

"Yes, sir."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Brought to you by Kahlua, ennui, weird experiences in desert environments, and at some point Concerta XR.

-------

Leia watched in resentful silence as the speeder bikes were hidden behind some kind of old-fashioned camouflage netting. Apparently, the rest of the journey would be on foot. She wondered how far they'd gone from the ambush site, and whether they'd left tracks.

As if it weren't bad enough being bound at the wrists with a blaster trained on her at all times, Leia's captors next decided to throw a black cloth bag over her head so that she couldn't see where she was going. One of them was guiding her along the terrain, but roughly, and she kept stumbling. Her exposed forearms were covered in scratches, and she was sure her clothing was stained and torn by now. Her hair was surely a disaster.

It wasn't vanity that caused Leia to consider her appearance. She was thinking of ways to draw attention to herself, should the opportunity arise. A disheveled woman in fancy diplomatic dress in the middle of the woods was probably not something the local farmers, or hunters, or whoever she thought she might encounter out here were used to seeing.

Then again, if her captors felt comfortable parading her around at gunpoint wearing a doubtlessly conspicuous sack over her head, it wasn't likely they were expecting to be seen. She scowled. The inside of the hood smelled musty, and her breathing stifled against the fabric, making her face feel overly hot. She was beginning to be painfully thirsty when finally, she heard the footsteps around her halt. She was shoved to a sitting position, the hood was pulled partway up, and a canteen was pressed against her lips. At first she resisted drinking from it, thinking of poison and drugs, but her guide was insistent, nearly chipping her teeth. Her thirst won over her paranoia, and she gulped sloppily. Water dribbled down her face and she wiped her chin with her shoulder, meanwhile trying to spy out her surroundings from beneath the hood. A furry white hand blocked her vision almost immediately, yanking the cloth back into place.

Several moments passed in such quiet that Leia jumped when she heard a distant whistle. Suddenly, she was dragged back to her feet and pulled along at a quickened pace. It wasn't much further before she heard a door open, and was guided indoors. The abrupt change in light left Leia feeling even more blind, but after going through a few more doors and down some echoing hallways, the cloth was removed from her head. She looked around, swiftly; her immediate conclusion was that she was in some sort of bunker. Duracrete walls surrounded her, dimly illuminated by sparse industrial lighting. The only features of the room they were in were a couple of old metal chairs and a battered table.

Speaking in Bothan, the one who'd been guiding her pushed her lightly against a wall, indicating that she should stay there. She obeyed, displaying an attitude of meekness and thinking evil thoughts.

Somehow, Hayat had managed to coerce Han into following him back to HQ without an argument or a major confrontation with the medical staff. The ex-smuggler's famously limited patience, however, was quickly wearing thin.

"I've been waiting long enough, now how 'bout some answers?"

"Captain Solo, calm yourself," the older, female Bothan instructed, with an air of condescension that sent Han's nostrils flaring.

"I'll be calm when you tell me what the hell's goin' on!" he retorted.

"The chief is going to fill you in, that's why we're here," Hayat whispered under his breath.

"She's taking her sweet time," Han replied, not bothering to whisper. He turned back to the chief. "When are you gonna let me use your comm channel? Sometime this cycle, I hope?"

"We have closed off all communications with the Alliance," the chief responded, "so as not to risk disclosing the nature of this encounter or the location of your base."

"They don't even know that Leia-"

"The Alliance knows nothing, but they are sure to notice the disruption soon enough," the chief said. "If Intelligence indicates that this situation will be ongoing, we will send an emissary to a secret location and relay the information from there."

"Paranoid, aren't we?" Han scoffed.

The chief's fur ruffled, which seemed to be a plain enough indication of annoyance. "Captain Solo, we are risking the destruction of our planet merely by virtue of your presence here. Bothanel is in a unique situation. Our relationship with the Empire remains open; they do not yet suspect us, but given the precarious position we find ourselves in, the risk of exposure is high."

Han couldn't think of anything sarcastic to say in response. The Bothan woman was talking sense.

"My name is Maynn. I am the chief of global police intelligence on Bothanel." She extended a large, furry hand, and Han took it.

"Han Solo," he replied, "freelance pilot."

"Freelance, indeed," the chief replied, a trace of humor in her voice. "I expect you'll want an update on your copilot, Chewbacca. We've been told he'll be fine, although he will be kept in a state of induced hibernation for several more days as part of his treatment. They expect no lasting ill-effects after a brief recovery period. And by the way, he is under constant guard by undercover operatives."

Han's shoulders sunk, releasing tension he didn't know he'd had, but his relief didn't last long. "What about Leia?"

"A scouting team has picked up a trail, and we believe we have pinpointed the location of her captors via satellite," Chief Maynn replied. "A rescue party is being outfitted as we speak and will depart shortly."

"What about us?" Hayat interjected. "Are we just going to sit here and wait?"

Maynn's fur ruffled again, and she turned her gaze on the younger officer. "You will do as ordered," she said.

"Wait a second," Han said, getting to his feet again, "you can't order _me_ around."

"As it happens," Maynn continued as if he hadn't spoken, "your instructions, Hayat, are to accompany our guest Captain Solo in the rescue mission. It was against the Sovereign's wishes, but I gathered from his reputation that Captain Solo would not be obliged to watch from the sidelines." She glanced back at the one-time smuggler. "Please retrieve his weapon from the munitions locker and proceed to the briefing. It starts in twenty minutes, and you will leave immediately afterward."

"Why have they blockaded communications?" Mon Mothma asked, without a flicker of emotion to betray her calm demeanor.

"We don't know. Our last transmission from the _Falcon_ reported that they had landed without incident. Presumably, they met with their emissary since they didn't call in to report any delays. The communications block was implemented several hours later, without warning or explanation."

"Do we have any reason to suspect that this is the Empire's doing?"

"We can't rule it out, but nothing specifically points to their involvement," Rieekan replied. "I could pull some of Rogue squadron from their current mission to respond."

Mon Mothma paused to consider this. "I think, general, that might be somewhat hasty," she said. "We may call the Empire's attention onto Bothanel in the process."

Rieekan frowned, considering.

"This is a delicate situation," she continued. "I think a more covert approach is called for."

"What did you have in mind?"

"I'll let Technical Officer Crisson explain the details," she replied, then glanced at a pale young man who had been seated silently beside her throughout the conversation.

"We expected that some of Bothanel's security measures might include a communications blockade or destruction of information, so we fitted the droid with a recording and relay device," the technician replied somewhat nervously, as if he had rehearsed the statement. "C-3PO is not aware of its presence, nor are our ambassadors. It's relayed to the _Millennium Falcon's_ comm panel and uses the ship as an amplifier and transmitter. I designed it myself, specifically for the purpose of subverting Bothan technology, but…"

Crisson trailed off, eyes ticking towards Mon Mothma as if asking permission to continue.

"Go on," Rieekan prodded before the matriarch could interject.

"It's never been tested," Crisson concluded, deflating. "This is the first time we've even had a real-world opportunity."

"Have you received any transmissions not logged by the ambassadors themselves?"

"No, sir. Rather than transmissions, we receive a time-delayed continuous audio stream. Apparently, they powered down the droid and left it on the ship."

Mon Mothma shot Rieekan a meaningful glance.

"We might've seen that one coming," Rieekan smirked. "Can the droid be activated by remote?"

Crisson looked taken aback. "There might be a way, sir."

"Get to work on it right away. Allocate your department's resources as you see fit, but make this your number one priority."

"Yes, sir."

Han forced himself to sit through the briefing, gripping the side of his seat to keep from launching out of it and taking off. After he'd heard (translated by a handy earpiece that Hayat had passed to him) that last captured images showed Leia alive and unharmed, all he really wanted to know was _where they had taken her_. He didn't care about the numbers of entrances or exits, the size of the compound, the expected defenses. Well, he knew he should care, so he forced himself to listen, but his impatience was making it difficult. Given his blaster and his current mood, he felt he could probably take them all out single-handed.

_I'm starting to sound like the kid_, he thought to himself, and a grimace crossed his features.

"The location of the compound is programmed in to the global positioning devices in your gear. Good luck."

Chairs scraped the floor as Bothans got to their feet, but Han Solo was already halfway out the door.

A/N: Beta reader needed. I'm looking for someone better versed than I am with the ancillary characters in the Rebellion and in the SW universe in general. Someone mean and harsh. Please email me if you're willing to help out!


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